Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to review the removal of the spare room subsidy.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Any decisions on the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy policy need to be taken in the context of the Government’s missions, housing priorities, and the fiscal context.

Those unable to meet a shortfall in their rent can seek a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) from their local authority. DHPs can be paid to those entitled to Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will publish all written representations made by the Crown Estate on proposals for Great British Energy.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

On 25^th July Government published the Great British Energy Founding Statement, which outlined how the partnership between Great British Energy and The Crown Estate will bring forward and derisk new offshore wind developments, stimulate new technologies in new clean energy sectors and invest in ports and clean energy supply chains. We will set out further detail in due course, as the partnership develops.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed application of VAT to private school fees on families who can only access SEND provision in private schools due to deficits in local provision.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity, ensuring every child has access to high-quality education, which is why we have made the tough decision to end tax breaks for private schools. This will raise revenue for essential public services, including investing in the state education system.

State education is accessible to all children. All children of compulsory school age are entitled to a state-funded school place if they need one and the Department for Education works to support Local Authorities to ensure every local area has sufficient places for pupils.

Where pupils are placed in a private school because their needs cannot be met in the state sector, and they have their places funded by their Local Authority, the Local Authority will be able to reclaim the VAT they incur on these pupils’ fees. In Northern Ireland, it will be the Education Authority who fund placements in private schools and will be able to reclaim the VAT in this way.

Where a placement at a specific private school is necessary to meet the pupil’s needs in England, that school will be named in the pupil’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the new customer panels to hold water companies to account will be selected; and what powers these panels will have.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This government expects companies to provide high levels of service, both for customers and the environment and believes that customers should be at heart of challenging companies on their performance, which is why we have immediately announced that powerful new customer panels will be established. These panels will have the remit to do things like summon members of the executive and hold them to account.

Further detail will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to monitor Ofwat's (a) monitoring and (b) enforcement of the ring-fencing of funds for vital infrastructure.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

After writing to Ofwat, the Secretary of State has secured agreement that funding for vital infrastructure investment is ringfenced and can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment. Ofwat will also ensure that when money for investment is not spent, companies refund customers, with money never allowed to be diverted for bonuses, dividends or salary increases.

As part of PR24, Ofwat have introduced increased consumer protections through Price Control Deliverables which act to pull back funding from companies when they fail to deliver, helping to ensure customers are protected and money is returned if outputs are not being met.

Ofwat propose to require companies to report on progress against their price control deliverable outputs on a six-monthly basis and forecast performance for the 2025-2030 period. Where Ofwat consider a company is sufficiently off-track, they will consider what additional steps that they should take.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring (a) financial institutions and (b) other FTSE 100 companies to include information on their employees' commuting emissions within planned publications on carbon footprints.

Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) policy requires quoted UK companies and large unquoted UK companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) to disclose specified energy and emissions (generally Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, with some limited Scope 3 requirements such as business travel for unquoted businesses) in their annual reports. The costs, benefits and practicalities of wider Scope 3 emissions reporting requirements - including employee commuting emissions – is being assessed to help inform the Government’s decision on whether to endorse the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards in the UK. The Government will provide more information in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1512 on Special Educational Needs, if her Department will publish a list of local authorities that have breached obligations to fulfil statutory duties to children and young people with SEND.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

A new Ofsted and Care Quality Commission Area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection framework was launched in January 2023. All local areas are due to receive a full inspection within five years, which will support local areas to achieve better outcomes and standards in line with our programme of reform. Ofsted publish final outcome reports on their website, and local areas are required to publish them on their organisation’s website.

Where a council does not meet its duties, the department can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement. The department works to monitor, support and challenge local authorities, working closely with NHS England to tackle weaknesses that sit with health partners.

The department collects a range of SEND performance metrics from local authorities on an annual basis and these are publicly available.

The department welcomes the publication of the Big Listen response. It will work with Ofsted to consider how outcomes for children with SEND or in alternative provision are better reflected in both the education inspection and the Area SEND inspection framework going forwards.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1512 on Special Educational Needs, how her Department monitors whether local authorities are meeting their obligations to fulfil statutory duties to children and young people with SEND.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

A new Ofsted and Care Quality Commission Area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection framework was launched in January 2023. All local areas are due to receive a full inspection within five years, which will support local areas to achieve better outcomes and standards in line with our programme of reform. Ofsted publish final outcome reports on their website, and local areas are required to publish them on their organisation’s website.

Where a council does not meet its duties, the department can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement. The department works to monitor, support and challenge local authorities, working closely with NHS England to tackle weaknesses that sit with health partners.

The department collects a range of SEND performance metrics from local authorities on an annual basis and these are publicly available.

The department welcomes the publication of the Big Listen response. It will work with Ofsted to consider how outcomes for children with SEND or in alternative provision are better reflected in both the education inspection and the Area SEND inspection framework going forwards.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1512 on Special Educational Needs, how her Department monitors whether the Safety Valve programme leads to improvements in SEND service.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Safety Valve agreements are established only when both the local authority and the department agree that the proposals will improve services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The department regularly reviews the implementation of all Safety Valve agreements through a monitoring process that takes place three times a year. These reviews are not published, in order to secure free and frank discussion between the local authority and the department.

Norfolk's agreement is currently subject to review, and the local authority is working with the department on a revised proposal within the programme's framework.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1512 on Special Educational Needs, when her Department last undertook a review of the Safety Valve agreement with Norfolk County Council; and if she will publish the conclusions of the most recent review.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Safety Valve agreements are established only when both the local authority and the department agree that the proposals will improve services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The department regularly reviews the implementation of all Safety Valve agreements through a monitoring process that takes place three times a year. These reviews are not published, in order to secure free and frank discussion between the local authority and the department.

Norfolk's agreement is currently subject to review, and the local authority is working with the department on a revised proposal within the programme's framework.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of low pay on early years childcare sector recruitment.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department recognises the concerns the sector has about workforce recruitment and retention challenges. The department continues to work closely with the sector to understand these challenges. Early education and childcare is delivered by a mixed market of private, voluntary and independent provision who set their own rates of pay.

The department is uplifting funding rates to support providers in dealing with the costs they face, including staffing costs. Current national average funding rates are broadly in line with, or higher than, nursery fees paid by parents last year. For 2024/25, this includes an investment of £67 million to reflect the increase in the National Living Wage from April 2024. Local authorities are required to pass through a minimum of 95% of the funding to early years providers.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of simplifying the application process for Pension Credit.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

We are streamlining all Pension Credit application routes by using information held internally to reduce the number of questions the citizen must answer.

A key objective of DWP’s Service Modernisation Programme is to utilise end user research to understand how the application process should operate in the future and consider the opportunities on how services can be more user friendly and easily accessible for citizens.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish a timeline to bring forward legislative measures to end trail hunting.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This is a devolved matter with regard to Scotland and NI; hunting with dogs is a reserved matter with respect to Wales and therefore, the information provided relates to England and Wales.

The Government is committed to enacting a ban on Trail Hunting, and work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing. Further announcements will be made in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing 16 to 19 funding to colleges to help fund pay deals.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government recognises how critical further education (FE) teachers are to unlocking opportunity, tackling disadvantage and equipping learners with the skills needed to secure high value work and boost employer productivity. While the government does not set or recommend pay in the FE sector, it is clear that remuneration is an important factor in teacher recruitment and retention.

The government continues to invest in FE teachers, including through additional funding of around £600 million across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years. This includes extending retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas. This will support FE providers to recruit and retain high quality teachers in critical subject areas where vacancy rates are high.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of levels of pay in further education institutions on recruitment and retention.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government recognises how critical further education (FE) teachers are to unlocking opportunity, tackling disadvantage and equipping learners with the skills needed to secure high value work and boost employer productivity. While the government does not set or recommend pay in the FE sector, it is clear that remuneration is an important factor in teacher recruitment and retention.

The government continues to invest in FE teachers, including through additional funding of around £600 million across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years. This includes extending retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas. This will support FE providers to recruit and retain high quality teachers in critical subject areas where vacancy rates are high.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to fund accommodation for asylum seekers once the use of hotels is stopped.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly, and is reviewing the current arrangements for accommodation to ensure efficiency and value for money, including reducing the use of hotels.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to support the health of pensioners living in energy inefficient homes when Winter Fuel Payment is withdrawn.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Energy support is the responsibility of Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

We are providing support through our Warm Homes Plan which pensioners will benefit from. This will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. Our long-term plan will protect billpayers permanently, reduce fuel poverty, and get the UK back on track to meet our climate goals.

The Household Support Fund is also being extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025.  An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the HSF in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.

The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.

The Home Upgrade Grant provides grants to low-income households to upgrade the energy performance of the worst quality, off gas grid homes in England by installing multiple energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating. This will typically include insulation measures in combination with a heat pump to make the home heat efficient and suitable for the future as we build towards net zero.

The Government is committed to a preventative approach to public health. Keeping people warm and well at home and improving the quality of new and existing homes will play an essential part in enabling people to live longer, healthier lives and reducing pressures on the NHS.

The Government is ensuring pensioners are supported through our commitment to protect the Triple Lock, over 12 million pensioners will benefit, with many expected to see their new State Pension increase by around £1700 over the course of this Parliament.

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The Legal Dragnet Joint Enterprise Report

Found: 2 Parliamentary and press coverage 2.1 Parliamentary questions Topical Questions Asked by : Clive